Galvanic battery.



E. MCGALL & M. D. MALCGMSON. GALVANIC BATTERY.

APPuc/mon man Aua.|2. 1914.

1,201,481.. Patented 0t.17,`1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT `oEEioE.

EDWARD MQ'GALL, OE ORANGE, AND MALCOLM D. MALcomsoN', o'EwEsT ORANGE, NEW

JERSEY, ASSIGNOBS T0 NEW JERSEY PATENTCOMPANY, 0F ORANGE, NEW

JERSEY, A CORPORATION OE NEW JERSEY.`

GALvANIc BATTERY.

Patented oct. 17, 1916.

Application inea August 12,1914. serial No. 856,331.

.Orange, Essex county, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Galvanic Batteries, of which the following is a description.

Our invention relates generally to galvanic batteries and more particularly to anim` proved electrolyte for such batteries; and while directed especially to primary batteries of the type commonly known as dry.

cells, wherein the electrolyte is either retained in such a manner or is itself in such a condition that` it will not flow from the cells when the latter are tipped or inverted, it is to be understood that many of the features of our invention are applicable to bat-v teries of other types, for example, storage batteries. u

The' principal object of our invention is to provide for batteries of this charactetyan improved gelatinous electrolyte, preferablyy in a colloidal state, whereby the capacity and rate of discharge of `such batteries will be greatly increased and whereby the'potential will remain substantially. uniform 1- .faction of the electrolyte throughout the life throughout the life thereof.

vide a dry battery cell wherein therewill be practically no drying out fof. the electrolyte or deterioration of the electrodes whenthe cell is on open circuit, and whereby Yan inv latterare increased. dissolved during the operation of the cell creased diffusion of the substances which are will be obtained.

Our invention also comprises Vthe method of forming the improved l gelatinous electrolyte.

Other objects and features of ourv inven tion will be hereinafter more fullyl described` neutral or nearly neutral solution as the electrolyte; `the electrolyte being formed into a sticky or pasty mud-likemass, commonly called'the battery mix, either by mixing a solution of the electrolyte with' ka suitable dry substance or-by pouring liquid on a dry substance containing the electrolytic ma terial. These cells, however, have a comparatively low capacity and discharge rate and vrapidly deteriorate when On opencircuit.- and also decrease in eiiciency under operation,-whi ch apparently is largely due to the properties and characteristics of thebattery mix employed therein. We have.-

d-iscoveredthat by using a colloidal gelatinous electrolyte, these defects are largely oband negative electrodes-respectively and an alkaline colloidal gelatinoussolution as' the electrolyte of a cell, the efficiency of such cell is greatly increased, being infact greater than that-of a wet primary battery employ- -ing similar electrodes and an alkaline electrolyte. This 1s due, in part, to certain peculiar characteristics and properties of the colloidalv gelatinous electrolyte which permit sufficient didusion ofthe particles dis solved from the lpositiveelectrode to preventv saturation thereby of the active electrolytic material adjacent the surfacesA of the electrodes, thereby insuring theexposure of the entire Vactive surfaces of theelectrodes to the of the'A cell. lThe presence of the starch viated and that when, for example; zinc and l l oxid of copper are employed as theI positive f in the colloidal' solution also apparently increases thev ionization of* the electrolyte whereby the capacity and lconductance of the Briefly described, the preferred form of our improved cell comprises a. zinc positive electrode, an oxid of copper negativevelectrode and a colloidal gelatinous alkaline electrolyte. This electrolyte is preferably Amade by combining a caustic alkaline solu-V tion and a solution of suitable organic material;i although we havey found it possible forcelle where a.- neutral .or substantially neutral electrolyteis required to produce'acolloidal gelatinous electrolytic solution from av substantially vnonfalkaline material` eitherwith or without combining the same with anlorganic material.' ;k The electrolyteis preferably formed by properly combining a heated solution of caustic soda-Or sodium leidal solution in the presence ofthe caustic will be obtained. In some cases it is necessary, after `mixing the heated solutions as described, to further. heat the mixture in order to obtain a colloidal gelatinous solution, while in others it has .been found that a gelatinous colloidal solution will be produced by merely -mixingthe heated solutions as described and without applying further heat to the mixture and without cooling the same. 'To the colloidal gelatinous electrolyticsolution thus obtainedvmay be added Aone or more other inorganic materials, such y as varlous slllcates, chromates, bl-ch'romates etc., in order to increase the capacity and conductance -thereof. We do not wish to confine ourselves to the use of sodium hydroxid as the alkaline employed in malng the colloidal gelatinous electrolyte, as we havefound that the use'of other alkalines,

such as potassium or'lithium hydroxid, will give-efficient results. Certain combinations of thealkalines mentioned are also advantageous, for example, the addition of a small amount of lithiumhydroxid to an electrolyte of the character described and containing sodium hydroxid increases the capacity ofthe electrolyte to a very appreciable extent. For the'organic material employed in forming the electrolyte, we ind that starch or materialsrich in starch give the best results. Where starch is employed, it is preferable, in forming the electrolyte, to first dissolvethe starch in cool water in order to obtain a very smooth and uniform solution, to then `heat this solution and combine the same with the heated caustic alkaline solution, and nally, if necessary, to heat the mixture so obtained. The gases which are generated by the normal action of a cell employing an electrolyte of the character above described are, because of the viscosity and colloidal .nature of the electrolyte, either absorbed in or held in suspension by the electrolyte in the-form of small bubbles, or partly absorbed and partly held in suspension thereby, thus making it practical for ordinary service to hermetically seal the cell. Y

In order that our invention may be more clearly understood, attention is directed to the accompanying drawing forming a` part of this, specication and in which- Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of a dry primary battery cell constructfed in accordance with our invention.; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the cell taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, reference character 1 represents the positive electrode which is preferably of zinc and in the form fof a hollow cylinder. The zinc positive elec` trede is either cast or rolled to form and is preferably amalgamated in order to reduce its solution pressure and thus prevent any appreciable dissolution thereof when the cell is on open circuit. The positive electrode is disposed in a cylindrical iron or tin plated metallic container 2 and is separated and insulated from the side walls y of the container by a cylindrical shell 3 of `iibrous or other insulating material, preferably impregnated with a material impervious to the action of the electrolyte. Reference character 4 represents the negative electrode which preferably consists of a metallic perforated tubular member 5 filled with a mass of Apulverized or iiaked oxid of copper 6. At the bottom of the container is a mass 7 of insulating material. This insulating material is preferably plastic, and is poured into the container while hot, the electrodes being then inserted into the container and set into the plastic material while the latter is still Soft, with the negative electrode positioned substantially centrally of the container, whereby when the plastic material cools and hardens, the electrodes will be firmly held thereby inthe positions shown.' The upper ends of thecylindrical positive electrode and the shell 3 surrounding the same terminate some distance below the top ofthe container and the upper end of the negative electrode terminates a short distance below the top of the positive electrode. rl`he container is lled to a level above the negative electrode 4c and nearl to the top of the positive electrode 1, wit a colloidal gelatinous alkaline electrolyte 8 of the character hereinbefore described. The positive electrode 1 is formed near the middle thereof with a projection 9 forming one terminal of the cell, to which is suitably securedthe conductor 10, and the negative electrode has secured to the vtop thereofl a bolt 11 extending above the container and forming the other terminal of thel cell. A layer 12 of absorbent or porous material, such as sand, is disposed on top of the electrolyte 8 and extends to alevel above the positive electrode 1 and the insulating shell 3, but slightly below the top edge of the container 2. We ind it advisable to employ this layer of porous material in order to take care of any excess pressure in the cell which is sometimes generated when the same is subjected to heavy duty. 'llhe cell is sealed by a layer 13 of plastic material disposed on top of the layer 12 of porous material and extending practically to the top of the container 2.

,pressure in the cell such, for example, as

might be generated if the cell were suddenly subjected to very heavy duty and `discharged for a short time above its normal rating.

It is to be understood that our invention is not limited to the embodiments and features specifically shown and described herein, but that such features and embodimentsl are subject to many changes and modifications without any departure from the spirit of our invention.

Having now described our invention what We claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. In a galvanic battery, a colloidal gelatinous electrolyte'AV containing in combination, alkaline and organic materials, and'anothcr inorganic material which acts to increase the capacity and conductance thereof, substantially as'described.

2. In a galvanic battery, a colloidal gelatinous electrolyte containing in combination,"

l caustic alkaline andorganic materialsand another inorganicjmaterial which acts to increase the capacity and conductance thereof,

' Asubstantially as described.

`substantially as described.

4. In a galvanic battery, a colloidal gelatinous electrolyte containing in combination, sodium hydroxid, an organic material, and a silicate to increase the capacity and conductance thereof, substantially as described;

Y v- 5. In a'.` galvanic battery, a colloidal gelatinous'electrolyte containing in combination,

a plurality of alkaline materials and another inorganic material which acts to increase the f .capacity and conductance thereof, substantially as described.

6. In a galvanic battery, a colloidallgelati nous electrolyte containing in combination,

sodium hydroxid, one or more additional alkaline materials, and another inorganic material which acts to increase the capacity and conductance thereof, substantially as described. y

7 In a galvanic battery, a colloidal gelatinous .electrolyte containing in combinatiom sodium hydroxid, one or more additional alkaline materials, and a silicate to increase the capacity and conductance thereof, substantially as described.

8.The method of formingr a colloidal gelatinous electrolyte for galvanic batteries, which consists in making an alkaline solution, making a solution of organic material, heating one of such solutions, mixing the solutions, and then further heating the mixture,A substant-ially as described.

9. The method of forming a colloidal gelatinous electrolyte for galvanic batteries, which consists in making an alkaline solution, dissolving material containing starch in cool Water to obtain a smooth and uniform solution of such material, then heating the solution of the material containing Starch, and finally mixing the said solutions, substantially as described.

10. A gelatinous battery electrolyte con-Y taining an organic starchy material, sodium hydroxid, and lithium hydroxid, substantially as described. v

11. A gelatinous battery electrolyte, containing an organic starchy material, sodium hydroxid, lithium hydroxid, and a silicate,

Vsubstantially as described.

-EDWARD MCGALL.

MALCOLM D. MALcoMsoN.

Witnesses: v

WILLIAM A. HARDY, MARX J. LAmLAw. A 

